Knowing What to Keep
by Bumpkin
Summary: Fourth Gambler'verse story. Flashback story, Ezra's secrets were beginning to be revealed even before he left Four Corners, or before they all met again in Vegas. Be sure to read the AN before the story for warnings.


AN: I want to thank **Karieflybabe** for putting up with my endless nattering while I was writing this (my long suffering writing partner – this isn't even one of her fandoms usually) and the wonderful **Siluria** for doing an awesome betaing job. Thanks Ladies! Any remaining errors of course are mine. Plus I have to warn, this isn't exactly like the others in this verse - it's heavier on the humour (over the top parody and tongue in cheek in some ways, and a bit dark in others) and very deliberately touches on certain subjects that I think Immortals would inevitably deal with over time. Still, let me know what you think. :)

Description: Gambler'verse story. Flashback story, Ezra's secrets were beginning to be revealed even before he left Four Corners, or before they all met again in Vegas.

Disclaimer: Not mine, in fact I think someone borrowed my brain for this puppy…

* * *

Knowing What to Keep  
By Marns AKA Bumpkin  
Rated R (and C for Cracktastic)  
Sexual (Het and Slash – nothing explicit)  
(Wordcount: 4,385)

Ezra sat in his bar and watched the people all around him as they interacted with each other. It was something he did often, making sure that nothing was amiss and that the interacting people were still spending a good portion of their hard earned money in his establishment. He smiled wide enough to flash his gold tooth as his patrons happily made him richer while they drank, danced and gambled – in other words, everything you were *supposed* to do when you were in Vegas.

He sat back, and sighed in satisfaction, as he thought happily that it was a excellent night – perhaps even an exceedingly profitable night – and that life was good.

Then, out of the corner of his eye he saw something. Something that would cause him so much trouble if it was what he thought it was … trouble like it had just over a hundred years ago in a bar that he modeled this one after.

x-X-x

_~Dusty little town of Four Corners, in the late 1870's or 'round there'bout's anyway~_

The aforementioned small dusty town of Four Corners had been enjoying a quiet spell for a while, one that the seven men who were paid a lousy dollar a day to keep the peace were very thankful for. They'd needed a bit of time to heal up from the last spate of troublemakers who'd thought to challenge themselves against the 'Magnificent Seven' thanks to that stupid penny dreadful novel written by Jock Steele.

This being a time of recovery, of course, didn't stop them from installing themselves at the Saloon at their usual tables, contrary to Nathan's advice and much to his dismay. He'd thrown up his hands in his aggravation at their mule-headedness and then washed them of any resulting recurrence of any of their ailments, saying it was their own fool faults if they re-injured themselves.

Except, not all of the seven had been injured during the tussles, and so not all of the seven were reveling in the peace and quiet. Some of them were getting a bit bored. It was this very boredom and something else a bit more earthy that had Ezra Standish speculatively eyeing one Vin Tanner in a rather predatory way early on during this time of peace.

Now, Ezra was an old Immortal and came from a time and place where sexual practices weren't about morality, but purely about pleasure. However, hedonistic freedom - or just the open acceptance and acknowledgement that romantic love wasn't linked to procreation - didn't last. So those who enjoyed their own sex for carnal pleasure were forced to become very discreet in their dalliances and affairs. Ezra hadn't been exempt from this forced prudence, even though he was more an equal opportunity pleasure seeker than one who solely preferred his own sex, but it still had grated.

His relief from the oppression had come when he'd made the crossing to the New World and he'd found that the Native Tribes seemed to not care about the sex of your bed partner either. He'd spent a good amount of time with the 'People', as they preferred to be called, on and off since then. Not that any of his most recent companions would believe him capable of living so rough. Ezra laughed inwardly as he imagined their varying reactions to seeing the dandy they saw him as so competent that he could give their Mr. Tanner a bit of competition. Which brought his mind back to the man he'd been trying to distract himself from.

'_Hmm, I don't know about competing with the man, but I sure would like to work up a sweat with him in another more pleasurable way_.' Ezra thought while his hungry gaze never left Vin.

Vin Tanner, who Ezra found to be a very attractive individual for all his rough exterior and edges, had also spent a goodly part of his formative years with the 'People' as Ezra had learned. This little bit of knowledge had Ezra wondering if Vin might not be adverse if, say he were to be… approached by one of his fellow peacekeepers for a dalliance of a carnal nature. Ezra didn't know. He hoped that if he approached Vin for a liaison of that nature that the other man would be accepting and not horrified, but he wasn't sure.

Ezra had supposed there was only one way to find out, and had decided that he was willing to chance it - so he had made an overture. Thankfully, Vin had been very receptive and consequently, their rather odd version of a courtship had started.

Since Ezra had made his move fairly early on during the peaceful interlude, he and Vin had made good use of their idle time over the course of the intervening weeks and had been steadily flirting with each other as they worked up to the good stuff. They were going to have to follow through soon though, because this peace (and their patience with the growing sexual frustration between them) just wouldn't last.

Then, one late morning, Ezra had woken up and thought, '_Today is the day_.' It was the day he was going to make Vin his – and to get Vin to make Ezra his too, of course. Ezra had so many libidinous ideas of what to do with Vin in and around his bed running through his mind that they wouldn't have time enough to do all of them in a mortal lifetime. And even if he was Immortal and Vin was pre-immortal, he didn't think they would have a chance; he'd woken with a feeling that something was coming.

Something big.

So he was down in the Saloon, sitting not at his regular table, but with Vin and the others. He was just leaning in to Vin in order to whisper his rather licentious invitation when –

*SLAM*

- the doors were forced open and a slim female form was silhouetted in the brightly backlit doorway. She took one step past the threshold, which allowed people to actually get a look at her, and then paused for a moment there as if she were granting them a chance to gaze upon a masterwork. It was only when she thought they had looked their fill that she moved fully into the dim confines of the Saloon and started to look around herself.

Curiosity was crawling from everyone in the room as to who this woman was and Ezra wasn't immune. He'd looked up like everyone else when the woman had made her grand entrance, but he was different from his neighbors in the fact that when he saw her he recognized her. He started to quietly curse, fluently, in many, *many*, languages as he sunk down in his seat hoping to avoid being seen by the lady. It didn't work. He knew it wouldn't. Even with his Quickening muted and pulled back so harshly, as he had to keep it in order to mimic mostly natural human healing, it was still enough to draw her notice - though he couldn't sense her worth a damn. He watched pained as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting inside the bar and alit upon where he, hidden up in the back corner, was sitting with his fellow peacekeepers.

"Finally, I found you! I've been looking for you for six years, Ezra darling, and I have to say that you've certainly been an elusive bastard, haven't you? I finally had to track down your mother to get her to tell me where you were and that is not something I ever wanted to do again - that woman and I are oil and water."

She strode over and grabbed a loose chair from a table nearby to wedge in next to Ezra at the table, between him and Vin. Every eye in the place was focused on their table, and Ezra knew it was because everyone wanted to know just who the woman was that greeted their resident conman and gambler peacekeeper so familiarly.

The rest of the Seven he'd been sitting with shifted in their seats, and he knew they also wanted to know. He didn't want to tell them. Then she smiled brightly at all of them, and when Ezra groaned she elbowed him sharply as she said playfully, "Well, darling, aren't you going to be a proper gentleman and do the introductions?"

Ezra threw her a dirty look and then sighed, but when that sharp elbow threatened his already sore ribs again he opened his mouth to do just that. He wasn't in time. His compatriots had decided he needed more prompting and had started to pepper him with questions of their own.

Buck leered at the pretty woman sitting at his side as he asked, " Yeah, Ez, why don't ya wanna tell us who the pretty lady here is?"

"And why would she and yer ma not get along?" JD asked innocently.

"Anytime now, Ez," said Chris, his voice flat but his eyes were amused. Ezra could tell the leader of their little band of misfits had an idea of who the lady at his side was and thought that JD's question was funny, never mind the situation Ezra was in at the moment. Ezra spared him a small glare and only got back a slightly raised brow with slightly more humor dancing in the eyes.

Ezra's eyes drifted over Amanda to see what Vin thought of all this and was sad to see hurt eyes gazing in his direction. Dammit, their affair had only been in the barest of infant stages, but that could have been something good. Lost now he was sure. Ezra fumed inwardly as he looked to see what the last two thought. They were just as amused as Chris. Nathan sitting back in his chair and just watching with a little smile on his face and Josiah was chuckling deep in his chest. Allowing himself one last wistful look at Vin and the lost opportunity there, Ezra again opened his mouth to introduce the woman at his side.

"Gentlemen, if I must and if you hadn't interrupted me earlier, I would've presented to you Mrs. Standish, otherwise known as Amanda. Amanda, these gentlemen are Buck, JD, Chris, Vin, Nathan and Josiah, my compatriots in keeping the peace in this dusty little burg."

"Wife!"

"You're married?"

"Thought so."

There was a brief moment of silence and then a quiet, "Weren't you ever gonna tell us?"

Ezra didn't know who said what as some were said in concert and they all overlapped. Very confusing and for the most part expected, Ezra let them flow past him. Except for the last, that one had been very clearly JD and Ezra had made a point of trying to answer most of JD's questions if he could.

Problem was, he didn't know how to answer this one.

Technically, Ezra 'Standish' *wasn't* married, he'd just used that as a matter of convenience – that and to let Amanda know what surname he was using at this moment in time – but even though they hadn't seen each other for about 30 years he and Amanda had been incontrovertibly married for about five centuries. So what to tell them?

He glanced over at Amanda to see if she was giving him any signals on how she wanted this played out, only to see the woman staring at him with shocked eyes and her mouth agape. Seems he was going to get absolutely no help from that quarter he thought disgruntled. His off-hand revelation of being part of the law in town had left Amanda speechless. '_Hmm, not something that happens often, maybe I should savor it,_' he thought idly, but then he couldn't stand her looking at him like that for any longer and asked her defensively,

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

His question, and its tone, seemed to snap her out of whatever had been holding her in stunned silence and she began to snicker. He glowered at her and her snickering edged more into giggling as she answered, "Just the idea of you as a lawman, darling. For some reason it doesn't quite fit."

Ezra harrumphed. This triggered Amanda's giggles to transform into full out peals of laughter. Ezra grudgingly let his own amusement surface in a tiny smile, he never could resist or stay unhappy with his wife when she was so full of mischief and joy. It was how they ended up married so long ago, now that he thought about it. Off on one of their more harebrained schemes, that between the two of them, got out of hand. Actually, that was the story of their lives together, he thought with some amusement, one disaster or scrape after another – but all of it fun.

"Yer not the first person to say that about Ez here, ma'am. More 'n one person has mistaken him as one o' the other side." Buck said smiling widely.

"Oh?" Amanda said archly. "Do tell?"

"Nevah Mind!" Ezra snapped. "Amanda, dearling, I theorize we have some catching up to do that would be best done out of public consumption." The last was said with a rather sharp tone and more than a bit of a glare as Ezra was still feeling the loss of what he and Vin would have had if only Amanda hadn't shown up.

Amanda threw him a questioning look, and Ezra just looked at her steadily with his poker face. He wasn't really mad, more upset than anything else, but he still couldn't really discuss any of it in the Saloon proper. Plus, Ezra had decided that he should nip their mutual story-telling in the bud before it had a chance to get started, considering how his compatriots liked to drag out the more embarrassing stories, it was probably a smart move - and he really didn't need Amanda to get started on some of their adventures. Especially when he never knew what was going to come out of her mouth! After almost a thousand years you would think the woman would learn the value of discretion - but Ezra had a feeling he was hoping after a lost cause on that matter.

He stood and covertly dragged his 'wife' to her feet as well as he did so. Amanda scowled but for once didn't say anything. He shot her a suspicious look, but didn't tempt fate by saying anything. He only thanked whatever gods were looking down on, and looking out for him, for her out of character good behavior. He laced her hand over his arm and nodded to the table as he said, "Well Gentlemen, as my wife and I have some domestic issues to discuss I bid you adieu and shall see you anon, good day."

There was a chorus of 'farewells' of sundry nature from his compatriots as he led Amanda away from the table. He couldn't help the lust and longing that swept through him when his gaze briefly rested on Vin's form as they walked by him, but he was certain he'd not outwardly shown any evidence of it. He didn't realize that after 500 years, someone would be able to pick up on even the tiniest 'tells'. A mischievous smile began to pull at her full lips as he led her further into the bar.

He had soon directed them both up the stairs and to his room where they would be assured a modicum of privacy in which to converse. As soon as they were both inside it and the door was closed they faced each other and both started talking;

"What are you doing here? Is there a specific reason you searched me out? What exactly did my Mother tell you?"

"Lawman? With six pre-immortals, Ezra? What are you playing at here, darling? And what does any of this have to do with that absolutely luscious man, Vin?"

They both fell silent as they processed each other's questions. Amanda's face took on a sheepish cast, while Ezra's darkened a bit.

"You were bored," he said. "That's the only reason you sought me out."

"Yes," Amanda said in a tiny voice, but then followed in a rush with, "but you've never minded before!"

Ezra sighed and sat heavily on his feather bed as he said, "Dearling, you have absolutely abysmal timing."

Amanda perched on the edge of the bed gingerly as she asked, "You are talking about Vin, right? You and he are… were something to each other?"

"'Were' is probably the right term now, seeing as I never told him I was married when I approached him about our liaison. Didn't plan on telling him about you at all, unless he became Immortal, it's a bit hard to explain otherwise."

"Ah."

Ezra laughed dryly. "Yes, that about sums it up."

They sat in silence for a moment, not needing to fill it with words like any other couple of long standing. Then something seemed to spark in Amanda's eyes and she turned to Ezra, "Darling, I'm going to make this up to you. To do it though, I'll have to go out for a bit. Why don't you shed a few layers while I'm gone. You know what I'm talking about, the brocade, the leather, some steel, a gun or three - otherwise known as the stuff that makes you uncomfortable to cuddle with, and I promise to bring you a treat when I come back."

Ezra chuckled and handed Amanda his key. "Alright, dearling, but remember to knock or I might shoot you." He pointed at the small holes around the doorjamb. "I tend to shoot first and ask second. As I still can't sense your Quickening with mine locked down like I have to keep it, I won't know it's you, and I don't dare release it in case I can't lock it down again in time just for the early warning."

"Oh, okay." Amanda said, took one step towards the door and then stopped. She turned back to Ezra and asked curiously, "Alright, I gotta know - why do you do that to your Quickening, and how do you do it? I always meant to ask you about that and kept forgetting."

"Lots of concentration, meditation and willpower for the 'how'. The 'why' is a combination. My age means I always have it muted down some, but for the other reason is living among mortals. Muting your Quickening like I have gives you a closer approximation to natural human healing. No possibility of infection and you still heal faster, just not with the incredibly noticeable blue lightening or near instant speed that sets us apart." He shrugged, "It helps me blend in when I stay in one area for any length of time."

"Ah." It was obvious that she couldn't think of anything to say in response and so she just turned and left for real this time. Ezra's laughter following her as she did.

-x-

Amanda was on a mission, she had to fix what her unexpected arrival had soured between her Ezra and his Vin. She loved her on and off again husband and didn't want to be the cause of him missing out on making a connection with someone he obviously felt something for; he'd never asked her to be exclusive and she wasn't about to ask him to be either. Plus, it didn't hurt that in the fixing she just might get a taste of the yummy looking tracker as well herself, but that was beside the point. This was for Ezra.

It didn't take her long to find the man she was searching for, he was the first place she looked. In the stables, predictably getting ready to ride out, all on his lonesome, so that he could lick his wounds in private.

She entered the rough building on cat-quiet feet and walked up behind him, getting up close to his back she leaned forward and whispered, "Going somewhere, stud?"

He made a garbled sound of shock, half leaped and half turned, and otherwise reacted as any man would to a woman sneaking up on them. She giggled as he glared.

"That wasn't funny, Missus Standish. You do that to the wrong feller and you could really get hurt." Vin warned.

"Ooh, aren't you the chivalrous one. Handsome inside and out, I can really understand what Ezra sees in you."

Vin looked at her sharply. She made sure her eyes were locked with his as she said, "Ezra and I have a rather unusual marriage, Mr. Tanner. You see, when he approached you, he did it in good faith and with the knowledge that I would not object to any liaison that the two of you might indulge in. It would be hypocritical of me if I did, if you understand me."

Vin blinked and Amanda smiled. '_He took that one well, perhaps it was time for another bombshell_.' She smirked rather lasciviously, "In fact, we have been known to expand our liaisons to include each other if our paramours of the time are amicable. Or of course, invite others to join us."

As she finished speaking, something seemed to click in Vin's mind. She saw it, but she also saw that Vin's shy and retiring nature wouldn't allow him to make any kind of move, let alone take her up on what she was so blatantly offering. Not unless she gave him a whole lot of impetuous anyway.

She grabbed his saddlebags and hefted them, "Everything you need for a few days is in here, right? And you've cleared with your fellow peacekeepers that you're going to be gone so no-one's going to come looking for you if you're not around, correct?" Vin nodded slowly. "Then all we have to do is find somewhere for your horse, somewhere safe but unseen…" She said leadingly, hoping he would tell her what she needed to know. He did.

"Well, I suppose I could ask Tiny to take Peso out to Miz Nettie's. He'd be alright there for a few days."

Amanda bounced in excitement, she would have clapped too but her hands were full. "Excellent! We'll do that and then you'll come with me."

She knew she was running roughshod over the poor man, railroading him into doing what she wanted but she figured it was for a good cause and besides that, he was going to enjoy the end result so there was absolutely no reason for her to feel guilty. Prodding him into motion, she followed behind as he went to talk to the stable master. She eyed the lean tracker's physique as she did and reiterated to herself, _'Oh absolutely no guilt at all here, it's definitely going to be a win/win/win situation!_'

It didn't take long for Vin to arrange what he needed with the large man so incongruously named 'Tiny' and they were on their way. Amanda, of course, had them taking the back streets and stairs towards Ezra's room, she didn't want their time over before it began if someone saw Vin was still in town. Soon enough they were at their destination and Amanda identified herself as she rapped on the door as she had been instructed. Ezra acknowledged her and she unlocked the door to let herself and Vin into the room.

"I told you I was going to bring you back a treat, darling," she purred sensually, "and I always follow through. Did I do well?"

Looking both stunned and happy, Ezra answered huskily, "Very well, dearling. I don't think you could have picked anything that I would have liked more."

Vin gulped.

Ezra's hot eyes locked on Vin from where he reclined like some great cat on his bed, his clothing more off than on, and Amanda shivered as she literally felt the room jump a few degrees in temperature. She quietly dropped Vin's saddlebags by the door she had prudently taken the time to relock, and then while Vin was still preoccupied, or dazed by the events in motion at any rate, she unobtrusively helped him take his capote off to hang that up on the back of the door.

Ezra pushed himself up from his recumbent position and motioned for Vin to come closer. Vin eagerly did so. He climbed onto the lush feather bed to meet Ezra in a kiss so hot it had Amanda wanting to fan herself. Gleefully Amanda realized that the two men seemed to have forgotten she was in the room, they were so totally focused on each other.

Amanda held her breath.

'_Oh YES!_' she thought as she watched the little Ezra had still been wearing get discarded so fast it was like magic, then as Vin was stripped. Things got decidedly warmer after that and Amanda hummed happily to herself, '_Nope, no guilt at all!_'

x-X-x

_~back in the present~_

The tiny and lithe dark haired woman walking towards him was now easily identified and Ezra had to smile. His life was about to get exciting, when she showed up it never failed to. She was incorrigible. Honestly he hoped she would never change, she kept life interesting even after all this time. Then he saw the other person she was towing by an iron grip on his hand where he following behind her and trying his best to both escape and disappear into the surrounding bodies.

"Darling! Look who I found!" Amanda cried exuberantly as she 'escorted' a blushing Vin Tanner to Ezra's side. Ezra shook his head and wondered if the blush was more because of memories or because Amanda's shout that echoed across the crowded bar and had drawn all eyes to them.

"Yes dear, I see you have snagged our shy Mr. Tanner. Now just what are you proposing we do with him?"

"Why take him upstairs to that wonderfully decadent loft you have up above and ravish him silly, darling, what else?" Amanda said with a smirk and a leer. Vin's blush got brighter and Ezra grinned.

Gold tooth flashing, he replied with a loaded tone, "And that wonderfully depraved mind, my dear Amanda, is one of the main reasons why we never divorced."

-end-


End file.
